Haunted
by Lunelis
Summary: With Maxwell Lord back from the dead, Wonder Woman and the Justice League must act swiftly to prevent Lord from exacting revenge. Knowledge of Superman: Sacrifice and Infinite Crisis is helpful but hopefully not necessary. BMWW. Title subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello all! This story has been kicking around my hard drive for about 6 months, so forgive me if it's a little bumpy (I wrote in a very sporadic fashion). Also forgive me if the updates aren't super regulated or close together; it's a little difficult to continue a story when you don't quite remember where you were going with it. _

_Also, if you guys have any questions about who the hell this Maxwell Lord guy is or what happened in Infinite Crisis, feel free to say it in a review or PM, I'm totally open to helping and I'll try to answer it myself and/or direct you to sources that will hopefully explain things._

_This story is probably going to have a mixture of the comic and cartoon continuity because I enjoy them both, so let me know if that ends up making things confusing or not.  
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_Anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

_Obviously (and sadly), I don't own Justice League, Batman, or Wonder Woman. And also, like every other egomaniac, I love reviews._

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><p>Diana and Bruce rarely fought, not seriously anyway. They certainly had their bouts, it was impossible to avoid with their personalities. But after they decided it was all worth it, they both put in the effort not to fight. Or at the very least, not to yell.<p>

So, when Alfred could hear the two of them from the cave, he was less than pleased.

The evening began with Clark stopping by the cave after Bruce's patrol. Hoping he was alone, Clark didn't hide his worry. Considering who he was visiting, it wouldn't have mattered much either way. Bruce could read him like a large-print book. And to think, Clark was the one with the super-vision.

So when Clark rushed in the cave with a stressed "Bruce," he just about flew into the wall when he saw Diana.

He adored Diana, loved her like a sister. The three of them made up the "trinity," as Lois liked to refer to them. But, this particular parcel of news was not meant for her ears, not yet at least. It would be distressing, to say the least.

Before Clark could back pedal and pretend he wasn't the world's most tactless metahuman, Diana was out of the chair that was fixed next to Bruce's post in front of the computer. As he looked at Bruce's empty chair, he realized the _only_ person that was in the room was the one person he didn't want to talk to right now.

"Kal?" Diana called out uncertainly, concern etched in her face. "Kal, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered none too convincingly. "Where's Bruce?" he asked, trying his best to pretend he wasn't worried. He felt like he just told Wally Santa didn't exist.

Diana could tell he didn't want to talk to her, and Clark could read the hurt that brought her.

"Bruce is restocking the jet," she said, eyes narrowed. "I'm sure he's just finishing up," she continued, skeptically. Clark desperately wanted to fly toward the garage, but that would put Diana on edge. So he waited. He could tell Diana was getting a little enjoyment out of watching him squirm. _Bruce is rubbing off on you_.

Bruce walked up to the computer platform to find Diana and Clark in a standoff. Really, it looked like more like a silent interrogation. His interest was piqued.

"What are you doing here, Kent?" Bruce asked as he sat in front of the main console. The silence that followed began to eat at Bruce's patience. He turned the chair to see Diana staring at Clark intently as he actively and visibly searched for words.

Though the cowl was down, Bruce was as intimidating as ever, and it really didn't help the situation. Clark swallowed his anxiety, his Kent persona, and stood up straight. This did nothing to comfort Diana.

"Don't worry, I know when I'm not wanted," Diana said as she moved toward the stairs. Clark was relieved to hear more suspicion in her voice than anything else. As she ascended, she continued, "I won't need the lasso to get the truth out of either of you."

Hearing the door close, Bruce's eyes narrowed at the alien in front of him. "Spit it out, Clark," he nearly barked.

"Maxwell Lord is alive," Clark blurted out. If Bruce were the type of person to be surprised, he would have raised his eyebrows. Instead, his eyes narrowed. Clark was about to say more, but Bruce already knew what was coming.

"And he's gunning for Diana," Bruce deadpanned as he turned to the computer, bringing up his fugitive database while connecting to Oracle. "How do we even know it's actually him?" Bruce asked, obviously very skeptical as he continued typing up his field report.

"Facial recognition on the Watchtower database, not to mention triggering INTERPOL and the FBI watchlist searches," Clark answered. Bruce turned in his chair looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Superman couldn't help but be a little offended. "I am actually a competent reporter, Bruce. Please give me some credit." Bruce merely turned back to face the screen and continued to type up his field report.

"Why, exactly, are you trying to hide it from Diana?" Bruce asked, sounding genuinely curious as he typed away furiously. Clark sighed.

"I don't want to bring this all up again," Clark said, clearly about to continue before Bruce stopped him.

"She's a big girl, Clark. She'll be angry. Trust me, you don't want an enraged Amazon," Bruce stated. The two remained in silence as Bruce stopped typing.

"You want me to tell her," Bruce said, turning in his chair to face Superman.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bruce, I'm not afraid of Diana," Clark scoffed.

"I never said that," Bruce said, a smile in his voice as Clark realized he let out far too much. "Besides, you are a terrible liar." Superman smiled, crossing his arms and looking at the progress Bruce had made in a few minutes. Bruce turned to see the smirk on Clark's face, and turned toward the computer with annoyance. Superman knew his mistake, he was actually surprised they had managed to keep it so light up until this point.

"Our history with Max Lord doesn't exactly bring a smile to my face Kent, but then again, we never quite see eye to eye," Bruce said darkly.

"I'm sorry, Bruce," Clark said sincerely. "That's not what I meant—"

"Save it, Clark, I know what you meant," Bruce replied coldly. Superman stopped, looking intently at the man before him whose mood was darkening by the second. "What do you plan on doing to make sure history doesn't repeat itself?"

"What would you have me do, Bruce?" Clark asked incredulously, fuming. "I can't guard myself from mind control, not unless you've masterminded some brilliant ideas that you're not sharing," he continued, cooling down.

"You don't get the luxury of no responsibility. Talk to J'onn, see what he can do or who he can contact. Now let me work," Bruce said, voice monotone.

_That went better than expected,_ Clark thought as he flew out of the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey there! At this point, I'd say you can expect about a week between updates. Hopefully that gives me time to finish up the rest of the story._

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><p>Diana decided she would wait half an hour before she went back to the cave. Superman had put her on edge and now she had to decide if it was worth it to even ask Bruce. Clark obviously didn't want her to know, and if Bruce agreed, that meant she would not hear anything through word of mouth. That left her with two options: wait for Bruce to open up or drag it out of him.<p>

But while she waited, she decided her present company was better than a stressed, post-patrol Bruce any day. Alfred was asleep, but Tim was spending the night, and like his mentor, he kept late hours.

Diana was sitting on the stool by the counter, sipping her tea when Tim walked in and grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge.

"Hi Diana," Tim said with a genuine smile as he took the seat next to the Amazon.

"Good Evening Tim," Diana replied with a brilliant smile. Tim, who was used to Diana by this point, was still taken aback by the regal woman before him. Bruce was a lucky man.

"I trust you've been adjusting well to your new school," Diana said warmly. Tim was a bright young man and a fine detective. He knew Diana was angry, and he was pretty sure he knew who she was angry at. So when he saw his mentor lurking outside of the kitchen he did not bother getting on Diana's bad side.

"It's a little difficult trying to restart the whole dual identity process again, but I'm sure I'll manage," he said as he watched Diana follow his line of sight into the hallway. Picking up on his cue, she genuinely smiled again, most likely for the last time that night.

"I'm glad, and I wish you the best of luck," she said as she stood up. "Should you ever need advice on interpersonal relationships, I'm here. I know Bruce can be lacking that department," she added as left the room. Tim smirked.

Diana approached Bruce, hell's fury in her gaze. Not one to mince words he stated it simply. "Maxwell Lord is alive."

Diana stopped, eyes wide. Bruce, had he not known her better, would have thought she was about to faint. But then he saw her fists curl, once more recognizing the princess he had grown to love.

"Where? Where is he?" she demanded, voice a low growl. Bruce narrowed his eyes.

"You and I both know you can't be the one that finds him first," he barked, doing his best to keep that particular memory out of his mind. He didn't tell her it was because Lord was looking to kill her, which in retrospect was cruel. He knew he was dredging up the past, and he didn't seem to care.

"Breathe, Diana," Bruce added, his voice softer. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he could feel the tension in her shoulders. While it didn't dissipate, he could see her expression of anger morph into one of concern.

"Bruce, what are we going to do?" she asked quietly. She looked so exasperated and so small, something he was entirely unused to seeing. It bothered him to say the least. So, he took her hand in his and drew her into his body. Wrapping his other arm around her, he spoke softly. "We are going to do whatever we need to do, but for now the most we can do is prepare."

He led them toward the stairs, but Diana stopped. "Bruce, I can't," she said, obviously considering her next words. "I can't go up to your bed and sleep next to you when I know what's going through your head."

"Princess, what are you talking about?" Bruce asked. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he didn't feeling like having this discussion right now. She sighed, and he could tell she was too stressed to fight with him. Instead, she took the lead up the stairs as Bruce followed. He would never admit it, but she was right. He was thinking about what she had done and how this was coming back to ruin everything they built and all she could think about was doing it all again.

But Bruce knew if he had any chance in changing the outcome this time around, he would need to hold his composure. So he followed her up to his bed, where he draped is arm over her waist as they both pretended to be asleep.

Ooooooo

Bruce woke up to an empty bed. He had stirred earlier in the night, and he now knew that was when Diana left. He hadn't slept particularly well and he didn't particularly enjoy waking up alone, at least not since he got used to having a warm body next to him. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his communicator, preparing to check on Diana. His hand was almost to his communicator when he paused.

Sitting on the nightstand was Diana's communicator in plain view. She wanted him to know that she was unavailable.

Bruce jolted from his position on the bed and grabbed his uniform. It was 4 am, so he had at least three hours to ascertain just what the hell Diana thought she was doing. Donning the cowl as he approached the clock, Bruce entered the cave and swiftly moved toward the teleporter. Within seconds he was stalking through the watchtower toward the founders' wing where Diana's temporary quarters were located.

The leaguers that passed the Batman saw the purpose in his eyes and quickly made room. Reaching Diana's room in a record minute, he entered the passcode and barged in. To his chagrin, he barged in on nothing. The room was very obviously unlived in, and it looked like that had been the case for quite some time. To be sure, Batman doubled back to the central computer hub to check the logs for entry to her room. As he suspected, no one had been in or out in over a week.

With the same purposed with which he entered, Batman moved to the teleportation pad, entered in the coordinates, and stepped on, scowl firmly in place.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again! For anyone who was wondering, yes: Wonder Woman did indeed kill Maxwell Lord in the events leading up to Infinite Crisis. _

_Also don't let the idea of comic book continuity scare you off, I have plenty of the cartoon's personality!_

_As always, read and review!_

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><p>Diana was resting comfortably in the prayer room in the embassy. She found the dimly lit marble and the sanctuary it offered her from the hustle and bustle of the city to be unimaginably calming. Which was what she needed to escape the quickly worsening horror story that was her current predicament.<p>

She was sitting in the middle of the room, in front of Athena's statue, legs crossed. The drapes which were usually open for guided tours, were closed, and she had several candles lit while she meditated with her eyes closed.

Breathing deeply, she felt the calm air shift to one of tension. She did not bother to open her eyes. "Bruce—"

"What were you thinking, Princess?" he asked with a growl. Diana merely opened one eye to make sure it was Batman, not Bruce, standing in front of her. Then she closed her eye again, infuriating Bruce to no end.

"You left your communicator at the Manor," he stated, voice still low.

"I was hoping to avoid interruption," she replied sighing loudly once again. "I should have figured if your wake-up call didn't get through you'd be sure to make a house call." Her eyes were still closed and it was beginning to grate on Bruce's nerves.

"Princess," he stated gruffly, warning her. He watched her exhale dramatically, opening her eyes. As she stood up and her line of sight got near his, he realized she looked exhausted. He almost felt guilty for being so terse. Almost.

"Diana, you can't just drop of the map when there is a sadistic murderer resurrected and after you," he continued. Diana had walked over to the altar against the wall, just a few feet from the door. Bruce moved towards her, but stopped when he saw her shoulders tense at his words.

"You mean when I'm gunning for the resurrected murderer" Diana replied coldly. Bruce's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl. Diana could tell.

"You said it, not me," he said, with an equal chill in his voice. Diana scoffed, finally turning around to face him. Her face was twisted in disgust.

"You wouldn't stand for anyone treating you the way you're treating me right now," she said, voice dangerous and low as she walked through the curtain. Bruce hesitated to follow her. By the time he finally did, she was changing into her armor. Bruce fought what we believed to be a deliberate attempt at distraction as Diana moved toward the transporter deck.

"Where are you going?" he asked her with exasperation evident in his voice. She crossed her arms and locked in her destination.

"I'm going to make myself useful and help track down Max Lord," she replied. With that, she disappeared. Batman, remaining as stoic as ever, looked at the space she had occupied just seconds ago. He decided to give her two minutes before he followed and gave her hell.

Batman arrived on the Watchtower just in time to see Superman, who was flagging him down. Running over to the man in blue, Batman couldn't help but be anxious to find out what was worrying the boy scout so much.

"Batman! We have to stop Diana! She just flew past me," Superman paused, worry and tension obvious in his voice, "She said she's going to 'kill him.'" The tension in Batman's shoulders dropped.

"She was talking about _me_, Superman," Batman answered matter-of-factly. Superman's face twisted from one of stress to one of confusion, and then a second later to exasperation.

"What did you do now?" Clark asked as he gestured for the two men to enter the nearest conference room. Obliging, Batman entered his passcode and walked in, ensuring the door closed behind the two imposing figures.

"I'm not sure you get to criticize anything I say from here on out, considering you weren't even man enough to tell her yourself, Clark," Batman answered tersely.

"I may not be man enough, Bruce, but at least I'm not emotionally inept. Regardless of what you said, I'm positive it was the wrong thing, and I'm positive you just made this entire problem more difficult," Clark volleyed back. Bruce just stared at him, eyes cold and stoic.

"You're not always right, Bruce. We really need Diana's cooperation to deal with Max Lord. If you're not even going to think ahead far enough to think about that, what business do you have involving yourself in this at all?" With that, Clark left.

For the first time since childhood, Bruce felt like he had been scolded. He didn't like it. He left the room feeling like he needed to rebut his argument, but realized his time could be better spent. Instead, he sought out the observation deck, knowing Diana would be sifting through her thoughts.

Diana was sitting on the edge of the platform, legs dangling as she leaned toward the stars. She heard the door swoosh open and heard nothing else. _Noiseless soles_.

"I'm assuming you're not here for an apology?" she asked, exhaustion in her voice.

"No," Batman responded, "I'm here because you need to understand—"

"Stop," Diana said tersely as she stood up to face him. "I won't listen to this a second time. If you don't understand my need to involve myself in this investigation, then you don't understand me. Regardless of what you think my motivations are, I want the man who tried to kill my best friends, my _family_, to pay for his crimes."

"Hasn't he?" came Bruce's response. They stood there for a few moments, in a silent standoff. Bruce knew the second the words left his mouth that he did not want to say that. It was a point to consider, not the accusation it came out to be. He could tell he had disappointed the woman before him the second her gaze dropped. Diana considered her next few words carefully.

"Not if he's walking around free to do it again." Bruce couldn't help but agree.

"Then we make sure he can't." At this, Diana's eyes lifted, a fire in them he missed. She walked to meet him in the middle of the platform, stopping just inches from his face. Leaning over to his ear, she whispered throatily, "You still owe me an apology." Batman had to stop himself from physically gulping as she walked by him towards the monitor womb.


	4. Chapter 4

_Well hello there! I can almost promise the next update won't be as prompt (though I'm working on it), so sorry in advance. Anyway, I hope y'all are enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying writing it!_

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><p>After leaving the observation deck, Diana waited for Bruce to catch up. He fell in stride a few paces behind her. This deliberate distance was something they maintained at all times around the Watchtower. There were certainly a few people who knew the distance was manufactured, but for the most part, it did enough to keep rumors to a minimum.<p>

So when Batman caught up to Diana, she understood that to be the closest thing to an apology she was going to get that day. It was Batman who insisted that they be as inconspicuous as possible. Diana understood the merits of his argument, but she didn't particularly care either way, at least not around their close colleagues.

Neither of them acknowledged the gesture as they entered the monitor womb to find Wally reclined in front of the main console, with his feet resting on the edge of the large control board. "We're switching shifts. Feet off the console, drinks out of the room."

"Bats, you've got to be kidding me," Flash answered as he sat upright again. "How is anyone supposed to go six hours without a drink?" he asked incredulously.

"Not anyone. Just you," he answered, striding toward the main console and bringing up several surveillance screens.

"That's cold Bats," Flash replied jokingly. "Are you going to let him get away with this Wondy?" He asked, turning to a smirking Diana.

"I'm sorry Flash, but if I remember correctly, you are the only person who has damaged the central processor," she said as Flash's expression deflated, "Twice."

"Fine, fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted. I know it's bad news when Wondy's on the same side as Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding," Flash said as he stood up from his chair. "I'll be in the commissary if you need me."

"We won't," Batman answered back. Diana hoped that reply didn't make it to Wally's ears.

"That was hardly necessary, Bruce," Diana said in a hushed voice as she joined him at the console.

"He's a big boy, he'll survive," he answered as he brought up footage of Maxwell Lord's former property holdings.

As he searched through the FBI footage Superman flagged earlier, he could practically hear the chill run Diana's spine. There was no doubt the man on the screen was Maxwell Lord. Diana visibly stiffened. Batman kept Diana in his periphery while he scrutinized the footage.

The footage was time-stamped three days ago, which made Bruce question why he had only just found out about this yesterday. Nonetheless, he took note of the location: Washington D.C. _Two blocks away from the Themysciran Embassy._

"Pull up the Embassy surveillance footage from three days ago, five minutes after," Diana commanded shortly as she paused and squinted at the time-stamp at the bottom of the screen, "9:42." _The royal voice._ Bruce didn't bother mentioning that's what he was already doing.

Diana's eyes widened in shock as Maxwell Lord's hunched figure passed by the front gate of the Embassy, paused for a moment, and then continued toward the alleyway the next building over. Diana's jaw set as she took a defensive stance.

Just as the window revealed Maxwell Lord, Superman entered the monitor womb to check on the progress of his friends."You know, you can't just tie up the monitor womb—" He stopped, shock coloring his features. Bruce found it much less attractive on the Boy Scout.

"Bewilderment does not suit you," he said sternly, prompting Superman to control his expression.

"How is this possible?" Diana demanded from no one in particular. Bruce couldn't help but ask himself same question. "How could no one have know _Maxwell Lord_ practically traipsed through the Themysciran Embassy?"

"Who is in charge of Embassy security?" Superman asked, clearly surprised no one caught this.

"It's handled by the State Department," Diana answered. "They contract out to a private firm—Delphi International Security."

"This is why I suggested you hire Waynetech," Batman added. Diana glared, and he knew he earned it. He also knew he was right. She chose to ignore that and turned to address Superman.

"Delphi International Security assigned 9 employees and 1 supervisor to Embassy security outside of the Themysciran operatives."

"Who is the supervisor?" Superman asked.

"Stanley Larsen." Diana began shaking her head as Batman brought up Stanley's employee profile on the screen.

"No, Stanley is not responsible for this. I selected him personally for this reason. He is a good, loyal man," Diana said, leaning forward on large center console. Her shoulders drooped as she continued to consider the situation before her. "I give his daughters' classes a tour of the Embassy every year. He sends me his family's Christmas card. I've been to his house for dinner more times than I can count."

"Diana, no one reported seeing Maxwell Lord outside the Embassy or in the footage. Embassy computers have access to the Watchtower database," Batman explained calmly, arms crossed over his broad chest. He respected her empathy, but she was ignoring the obvious link. While he'd be the first to admit that the obvious wasn't usually the answer in cases like these, he wasn't about to completely overlook it either. "Both you and Stanley are supposed to receive direct alerts from the facial recognition system when matches are made."

Diana merely crossed her arms and stood up straighter.

"Someone in the Embassy is answering to Lord, and given Embassy security policies and the facts that we have, that person is probably Stanley Larsen. Princess, you can't logically deny that," Batman added. Diana, shifted, arms still crossed, putting weight on her left leg. _Watch me._

"Then we find more facts," she replied, jaw set. "Since when do you deal in probably?" Diana couldn't argue that Stanley was the obvious choice. But her gut told her that her trusted friend did not betray her, not to mention the obvious choices weren't always the correct ones.

"Maxwell Lord has come back and had his sights set on you for over forty-eight hours without our knowledge. We investigate the obvious choice until the obvious choice is impossible," Batman answered, crossing his own arms. Diana decided that what he really wanted to say was _Because you don't have time for certainty and I care too much_. She did admit that may have been a bit beyond his emotional grasp, but she took comfort in her little fantasy.

The trio worked in silence as Batman continued to research Stanley's financials, looking for any major changes. Diana, seated next to Batman and working on the smaller screen along the bottom of the main console, scrutinized the footage within the Embassy in search of any indication that Stanley received an alert about Max Lord. Superman scanned the employee logs to determine who else could have been involved. When Superman suddenly perked up, Diana noticed.

"What is it Kal?" She asked, taking his sudden enthusiasm as a good sign. Still looking down at the papers in front of him, Superman began, "What if Stanley Larsen never received the alert?"

Batman didn't stop typing. "I'm assuming you actually have evidence to back that statement up." Superman was moments from actually using his heat vision as he glared at the man underneath the cowl.

"That doesn't warrant a response," Superman replied. "And yet you responded," Batman interjected. This warranted an icy glare from both the alien and the princess. Superman continued, "From what I can tell, Stanley never received an alert."

Diana nodded, "This footage corroborates that. Stanley's phone, nor his radio ever went off."

Superman, growing weary of interruption, though Diana's was a least supportive, continued, "And a certain William Baker, who was on shift at the time, used to work for a private ITS firm specializing in security breaches." Even Batman stopped working.

"I think I need to have a word with Mr. Baker," Diana said, standing tall and looking fearsome.


	5. Chapter 5

_So, my apologies for taking an irritatingly long time to update. Instead of offering excuses, I offer you the next chapter in the story. _

_Since I received a few inquiries about the Max Lord story, here's the cliff notes version: Max Lord worked with the Justice League pre-Infinite Crisis and then murdered the Blue Beetle. After a somewhat complicated story, Lord takes over Superman's mind and makes him attack his fellow Leaguers, nearly beating Batman to a bloody pulp. Wonder Woman fought Superman (to great physical damage to herself) and realized she couldn't beat him. Lord told her the only way to stop his mind control was to kill him, so Diana snapped Lord's neck. This entire exchange was captured on film by Batman's Brother Eye/OMAC program (which he created to keep an eye on the superheroes because he surprisingly didn't trust them after being mindwiped), which was played for the world to see. During Infinite Crisis, Batman lost control of Brother Eye and the OMACs destroyed Themyscira and the Amazons were forced to leave._

_There is a whole lot of other stuff I could talk about, so if anyone who knows the story thinks there's important stuff I forgot/got wrong (it's been a while since I've read the appropriate source material), feel free to leave it in the comments for the world to see!  
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_As always, I hope you enjoy!  
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><p>William Baker was sitting in his kitchen, having just returned home from work at the Embassy. He was reheating the chicken soup his mother had left in his refrigerator.<p>

_Chicken soup soothes the soul and the sickly. M._

William figured he'd give her a call, thank her for the free meal. Working at the Embassy was fine, Diana was wonderful. But between his child support and back taxes, Stanley could use all the free meals he could get.

He picked up the phone and turned his back to the table. "Hi Mom," he paused, listening to the woman on the other end. "Yup, just got home," he paused again. "Yeah everything's fine. I just wanted to thank you for the soup."

Stanley's body tensed. "What soup? The soup you dropped off." He blanched as he sought the note and had the realization that his mother's handwriting was not as neat as the one on this note.

He turned to the table, fearing the worst. He knew Wonder Woman had enemies, he had been briefed about the risks of accepting the position at the Embassy. He just always assumed Diana would take care of it. Of course, that was up until he realized Diana was sitting in the chair he vacated just moments ago. William carefully disconnected the call with his mother and put the phone down, as if sudden movements would antagonize the lion hiding behind Diana's scrutinizing gaze.

"Mr. Baker," Diana said calmly. "I trust Ferdinand's soup hit the spot."

Diana took his silence as confirmation. "I'll be sure to pass along your compliments. Please, William, have a seat."

Of course, William took the seat at the other end of the small Formica table. He sat gingerly. It didn't help that she scrutinized him like a bird of prey under the harsh fluorescent lighting of his overhead light.

Diana appreciated the harsh light; it allowed her to pick up every rivulet of sweat that cascaded down the side of his face as his anxiety grew. She deliberately held the silence in hopes of drawing out a reaction, a tactic a certain creature of the night had perfected. Diana, a master interrogator in her own right, didn't quite have the patience, as William looked more catatonic than anything else.

"William, I have a simple question to ask you," Diana began, leaning forward and clasping her hand on the table and William instinctively leaned back, "Why didn't you forward the facial recognition alert your computer received to your supervisor three days ago?"

After a few moments of flop sweat, he managed to stammer "W-what?" Diana crossed one leg over the other, moving elegantly and slowly, taking as much time as she could.

"Three days ago the Embassy security system recognized Maxwell Lord's face on the premises. An alert was sent to your computer," Diana said, standing from the chair and sitting on the edge of the table a couple of feet closer to the subject of her scrutiny. She crossed her arms across chest and ensured eye contact. Baker remained mute, and Diana took his silence as a lack of understanding, something which tried her patience considering comprehending the process was indeed part of his job description. She began to doubt his involvement in the situation solely on the grounds of his ignorance. But, as a certain colleague of hers would say, appearances can be deceiving. Alas, she continued her interrogation.

"This alert should have been recorded and then automatically forwarded to the head of security. Unfortunately, the message never made it to Stanley." Diana's tone was scolding and the pressure her hands exerted on the table left ad indentation, and William was unsure if her physical presence or her demeanor was more disturbing. He had never seen her angry and he had never noticed just how strong she was.

William's silence was grating on Diana's nerves and she narrowed her eyes.

"I trust you see my predicament," she said coolly. William nodded. That was not enough of an answer. She held her gaze and her silence. Finally, William took the hint.

"Miss Prince, I wasn't at my computer when that alert was sent. I saw it flashing on the screen, but that was only after I came back from the bathroom. I had pizza for lunch, and I'm lactose intolerant—" Diana stopped him. He was rambling. She watched as panic crossed his face, knowing exactly what was going through his mind. _Why am I saying this?_

"Really, that's quite enough," she said, standing tall before the anxious shell of a man. She decided stealth was unnecessary at this point, and gave William a chance to see the glimmer of gold which was resting on his foot. _The lasso._

"I'd always imagined the lasso was for recreational use," he said before he could stop himself. His eyes widened as Diana raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes. Really, this was quite the cliché by now.

"Why don't we stay focused," she said exasperatedly. "Where did you work previously?"

"Roth Security," he answered. Diana's interest was piqued. The name was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Who owns Roth Security?" she asked. William, knowing where this was going, suddenly looked very frightened. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop the words as they streamed from his mouth.

"Roth Security is a subsidiary of Luthercorp." Diana's jaw tensed and she tugged on the lasso, which was around his feet. So that's where she knew the name. Roth Securities was in charge of Lex Luthor's presidential campaign security detail. They're less than humane tactics had caught media attention.

"Have you ever been under the direct authority of Lex Luthor?" she asked, voice low and dangerous. She was always so nice around the Embassy. The woman in front of him was much fiercer. She was terrifying, and he couldn't imagine how this person could be contained within Diana, Princess of Themyscira.

"No."

That was the answer she wanted. Unfortunately, it was not the answer she needed.

"It would be best if you rested," Diana said as she removed the lasso and reattached it to the loop on her hip, "The lasso takes a lot out of you." William promptly stood up and made his way down the hallway to his bedroom. Diana didn't move from her position at the table. This was less than amusing and certainly more than frustrating. She opened the window, nimbly making her way out and closing it behind her as she flew to the roof of the adjacent building.

"You're satisfied with that?" Batman asked, still crouching on the edge of the building, watching William through the window to make sure no covert calls were placed.

Diana shook her head. "Of course not, Maxwell Lord is still running loose planning Hera knows what. But the lasso doesn't lie." Diana could practically hear the scoff from Bruce she knew was coming. "Not to mention we have no idea what effect Lord's mind games have on magic of the lasso," he responded, still focused on Baker's actions.

Diana sighed as she sat next to the man-gargoyle, leg dangling of the edge with the other bent toward her chest. "Honestly, I was hoping this would draw Lord out. We both know he wanted us to find William Baker."

The two sat in silence for a moment, considering their options. William Baker was a dead end and their investigation thus far turned up no other leads. Batman stood while Diana remained seated. He noticed how heavily Lord's return weighed on her as the bags under her eyes and the stoop in her shoulders betrayed her. The wind whipped her hair around her face and sent a visible chill through her. Regretting his inability to help her in any other way, Bruce moved to block her the harsh gusts. Diana seemingly warmed, and her furrowed features evened out, giving Bruce a small shred of relief.

"I'm heading back to the cave," Bruce announced after a few moments. "I'll look into Luthor's recent financial history," he said, grappling hook ready. "Avoid telling Kent his arch nemesis may have put a hit out on you," he added. Ready to jump, he stopped when he saw Diana's shoulders drop. She hated secrets. Bruce knew that, and the discomfort on her face betrayed that.

"Bruce, you can't keep this a secret from him, he's an asset. You know this despite your criticism, which I know is your version of friendship," she replied. Bruce lamented adding this stress to Diana's full plate, but he had good reason.

"Superman isn't exactly objective when it comes to Lex. Or Lord, for that matter," Bruce said, causing Diana to turn her head sharply toward him and narrow her eyes. He realized what he had said, and he realized he shouldn't have bothered two seconds too late.

"The same could be said for me," she said forcefully. Bruce chose not to say anything, and Diana assumed his silence meant he agreed. Bruce was perfectly aware of this, and subconsciously, he couldn't help but think that might be the truth.

"I'll see you at the cave," he said, leaving no question. Whether their next meeting would be on good terms or not was an entirely different story.


End file.
